Nurses' perceptions about the dignity of intubated patients

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Critical Care Medicine
• Patient Dignity Studies

Background:

• Intensive and critical care units (ICUs) are high-dependency areas requiring complex patient care.
• Intubated patients in ICUs are dependent on healthcare providers for both acute and intimate care, posing a risk to their dignity.
• Promoting dignity in patient care enhances the quality of care and improves the health and well-being of intubated patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' perceptions regarding the dignity of intubated patients in intensive and critical care units.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative descriptive exploratory study design was employed.
• Intensive and critical care nurses from a tertiary care hospital were recruited using purposive sampling.
• Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed using content analysis to identify themes and categories.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged: the dual nature of contemporary nursing practice, the benefits of dignified nursing care, challenges to intubated patients' dignity, and strategies for promoting dignity.

Conclusions:

• Dignity in nursing encompasses both the scientific and artistic aspects of care.
• Providing dignified care is fundamental to quality nursing and patient well-being in high-dependency units.
• This study provides the first contextual understanding of nurses' perceptions of intubated patients' dignity in Pakistan.